In cellular network systems, particularly CDMA cellular networks, a mobile station may be in a dormant state, where the cellular network is aware of the mobile station on the system, but currently, there is no activity with the mobile station. In other words, the mobile station is registered with the cellular network, but is in a dormant data session as no active communication sessions are taking place. An example of this is a mobile station that is registered and has been active in the cellular network, but is currently inactive without having powered off, such as a mobile station in a push-to-talk session, a mobile station awaiting a paging request, and the like.
In prior art CDMA cellular networks, Internet users may cause abnormally high paging rates by implementing malicious Internet Protocol (IP) scans of IP addresses terminated on such dormant mobile stations. Such IP scans can overload the cellular network system. These malicious IP scans may or may not be intentionally implemented to search for mobile stations in a dormant data session in order to reactivate them. However, whether intentional or not, IP scans of mobile stations in a dormant state does load a cellular network with mobile page attempts. The prior art is deficient in distinguishing these malicious users of the cellular network system from legitimate users.
There is a need, not met in the prior art, for a method of selective dormant data session reactivation. Accordingly, there is a significant need for an apparatus and method that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art outlined above.